The Tentacles of Progress: Technology Transfer in the Age of Imperialism, 1850-1940 [Paperback]

Daniel R. Headrick (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195051165 | ISBN-13: 978-0195051162 | Publication Date: March 10, 1988

Daniel Headrick examines why the massive transfer of Western technology to European colonies did not spark an industrial revolution in those countries. Rather than spurring economic progress, he argues, the transfer of stock technology between 1850 and 1940 caused the traditional self-sufficient economies of the colonial regions to be stuck in a state of underdevelopment, a legacy which burdens these countries to this day.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Headrick is a mster of his technical information and this book is valualbe as a convenient recorfd of the extension overseas of Western shipping, railways, telecommunications, urban utilities, irrigation, botany, mining, metallurgy and education."EHR

"Headrick's wide reading of the secondary literatures is evident in his accounts of the global shipping industry and of Hong Kong's water supply and sanitation, in his reading of hydraulic imperialism in Egypt, in his discussion of technical education in West Africa and in his commentary on economic botany and the tropical plantations of Empire....This is a very valuable book indeed. Some of the most important structures of the global formation between 1850--1940 are very clearly set before us and their interconnections rightly emphasized."--Journal of Historical Geography

"An impressive work of synthesis utilizing materials from British, French, German, and Dutch sources....Anyone interested in technology transfer and imperialism will have to consult this book."--David J. Jeremy, Manchester Polytechnic (journal not indicated)

"In a light, analytical narrative, Headrick has continued the project begun with his (1981) The Tools of Empire....A useful and inexpensive text."--World Development

"[A] careful synthesis of a wide range of material....Specialists on the history of imperialism will certainly be grateful to Headrick for enabling them to deal more confidently with themes which have often been treated, in semi-ignorance, in a very general way."--International Journal of African Historical Studies

"Well conceived and impressively researched....Has significantly redrawn the lines that will be followed in the continuing general debate on the politics as well as the economics of empire."--The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History

"A most fascinating and useful sequel to Daniel Headrick's previous book, Tools of Empire....Not only will Tentacles of Progress alter the way historians look at change in tropical economies over the past one hundred years, but it will also give important guidance to historians of industrial economies by showing where to look for what sort of impact particular new technologies might have."--Business History Review

"Very well written, surprisingly detailed, and quite useful....An excellent overview of the subject....Headrick's study will make a significant addition to the reading list for courses on the historical aspects of economic development, and, incidentally, should also improve the quality of the lectures in many of those same courses."--Journal of Economic Literature

"Headrick's thesis has been advanced many times in the past, but few scholars have brought together such wide-ranging and diverse materials to support it. In consequence, it is a book well worth reading."--American Historical Review

"[An] interesting and easy-to-read exploration of the 'technological context' of the final century of European rule in the tropical lands of Africa and Asia....[Headrick] has given us a stimulating book of mature and thoughtful scholarship."--Fritz Lehmann, Dalhousie University

About the Author

Daniel R. Headrick is at Roosevelt University, Chicago.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 10, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195051165
• ISBN-13: 978-0195051162
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.